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NAVIGATION
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Republica da Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal, the country's first multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held. An army uprising that triggered a bloody civil war in 1998, created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. The president was ousted by a military junta in May 1999. An interim government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy devastated in the civil war. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal |
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 00 N, 15 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 36,120 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km |
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Coastline:
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350 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
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Terrain:
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mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.67%
permanent crops: 1.78% other: 87.55% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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170 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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1,345,479 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 41.9% (male 281,394; female 282,641)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 353,755; female 388,968) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,130; female 21,591) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.23% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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38.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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15.05 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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108.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 49.8 years
female: 52.2 years (2002 est.) male: 47.47 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.13 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.5% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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14,000 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,300 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Guinean (s)
adjective: Guinean |
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Ethnic groups:
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African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1% |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% |
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Languages:
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Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 34% male: 50% female: 18% (2000 est.) |